Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Losing your hair may be an alarming thought, or even a present reality for you. Can you stop the balding? Many hair loss product ads make that claim, but are they trustworthy or just snake oil salesman? While many claims are dubious, there are steps you can take to slow down hair loss.

First, the bad news:

Hair loss for everyone is inevitable. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) tells us that it’s normal to lose about 50-100 hairs every day.

AAD stats suggests that 66 percent of all men develop balding in some form during their lifetimes.

Balding may be inevitable for you when the cause is hereditary.

Now, the good news: Scientists understand what causes balding and can offer up legitimate ways to slow your hair loss or, in some cases, help you reverse balding.

What causes hair loss

Many factors play into hair loss, and may differ from one person to another. The more common causes include:

Hereditary baldness, also referred to as male-baldness and female-pattern baldness. AAD estimates that 80 million in the U.S. suffer from hereditary hair loss.

Dietary irregularities, such as too much vitamin A, not enough protein or iron, or eating disorders,can cause hair loss and can prevent hair regrowth.

Certain medicines can cause baldness.

Stress is a common source of short-term hair loss, whether a physical stress (menopause, giving birth, significant weight loss, etc.) or emotional stress, such as a major traumatic event.

Five tips: How to slow hair loss

To slow down or potentially reverse hair loss, here are five tips that may work for you.

Tip #1: Reduce stress

While many types of stress cannot be avoided, you can reduce your stress level by knowing that many stress-induced hair loss problems are temporary. You may also be able to reduce your stress by engaging in physical activities of an aerobic nature, which can generate stress-reducing endorphins. Read more on exercising for stress reduction from the Mayo Clinic.

Tip #2: Check your prescriptions

Some medications (including some psychiatric drugs or blood thinners) will increase hair loss. But if you think this could be causing your hair loss, see your doctor before stopping your medication to avoid other withdrawal side effects. Your doctor can confirm if a medication he or she prescribed could be causing your hair loss and potentially prescribe an alternative.

Tip #4: Adjust your hair care methods.

Sometimes, something as simple as the way you wash or dry your hair or the way you style it can accelerate hair loss. The AAD offers recommendations on how to stop damaging your hair – suggestions that vary, depending on your hair type.

Tip #5: See a dermatologist.

If you baldness condition is worsening and nothing seems to help, consider getting professional help. A dermatologist can help determine the cause of your hair loss and recommend a course of treatment. Depending on the cause, the dermatologist may prescribe finasteride, corticosteroid, or minoxidil to help treat your hair loss.
To learn more about hair loss and hair loss prevention, investigate these hair loss articles from AAD: Hair loss: Who gets and causes, Diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for hair loss, and Tips for managing hair loss.